From this Fall, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s New York City Transit (MTA-NYC Transit) is to strictly enforce a uniform policy that will allow only TA hats to be worn by motormen while plying passengers. It is also setting up a committee that will examine ways to accommodate “anyone who has to wear a different headgear due to religious reasons.”

MTA-NYC Transit spokesman Charles Seaton told News India-Times that TA President Lawrence Reuter had recently written to union leaders saying that the uniform policy will be strictly enforced from the coming Fall and that all those who insist on wearing religious headgear will be relegated to yard duty.

The current round of controversy began in June when the MTA told Sathari Singh alias Kevin Harrington, a veteran MTA employee and motorman on Line 4 who has been a Sikh for over two decades, that he cannot operate passenger trains while continuing to wear his turban and if he insists on wearing it, then he will be shifted to yard duty.

However, within days, the MTA took back its order and said Singh can continue to wear his turban and operate passenger trains.

Explaining why the MTA took back its order, spokesman Seaton had told this newspaper then that the MTA decided to examine the entire aspect of the dress code before issuing any new comprehensive order. “While it is true that the MTA will enforce the new uniform policy strictly from this Fall, a committee is being set up to examine those cases where an employee cannot remove his/her headgear or scarf due to religious reasons,” Seaton said. “The committee is in the process of being set up as we speak,” he said on July 6.

Apart from Sathari Singh, at least another Sikh employee and two Muslim women who said they cannot remove their scarves for religious reasons will come under the purview of the committee.

In June, Sathari Singh had issued a statement saying he has been a member of the Sikh religion for the last 27 years and associated with the Sikh movement since 1973. “I have been an employee of MTA for about 23 years and a train operator for about 20 years. I was a Sikh at the time of employment and promotion to train operator. No one had objected until now about my ability to work at the New York Transit Authority with a turban,” he said.